Fieldwork for Design

by Randall, Dave; Harper, Richard; Rouncefield, Mark

• ISBN13: 9781846287671
• ISBN10: 1846287677
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-04-27
• Publisher: Springer-Verlag New York Inc

Summary

Fieldwork for Design looks at why ethnographic approaches have been turned to in the design of computing devices for the workplace, for the home and elsewhere. It presents a history of ethnography, both as it was practiced before computer science picked it up and since, most especially in the CSCW and HCI domains. It examines, further, the various ethnographic or 'fieldwork' frameworks currently popular, explaining and examining what each claims and entails. The focus of the book throughout is on the practical relationship between theory and practice, a relationship that is often misunderstood yet fundamental to successful design. The book is illustrated with real examples from the authors' various experiences in academic and commercial settings, reporting on the use of ethnography before, during and after design innovation and implementation. The result is a book that provides the working knowledge necessary for using any kind of ethnographic approach in the design of computer technologies. Written to provide an overview of the topic for researchers and graduates, as well as practitioners, this book will prove an invaluable resource for all in the field. As an HCI researcher and practitioner, I am delighted to see, at last, a balanced view about the practice of ethnography within our field. Gary Marsden, Associate Professor of HCI, University of Cape Town, South Africa Dr Dave Randall is Senior Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK Professor Richard Harper is a Senior Researcher for Microsoft Mark Rouncefield is a Senior Research Fellow at Lancaster University

Author Biography

Dave Randall is Senior Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK.

Table of Contents

Ethnography, Fieldwork and Design: Preliminary Remarks

Theoretical and Analytic Issues

The State of Play

Some Perspectives

Activity Theory, Distributed Cognition and Actor-Network Theory

Methods for Social Investigation: Practical Issues

Ethnography and its Role in the Design Process

Ethnography and How to do it

Analytic Issues 'what have we got?'- Commonsense and Context Preamble

Organisations and Work

Into the Home

Conclusion

Index

Bibliography

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.